The Lilly orphans who were selected by families here in America are always thrilled with the notes and care packages which we are able to hand deliver with volunteers who head back to Lily Orphanage every year.  Witnessing the impact of your gifts to the Lily children is so encouraging and makes the Life Changers program so special.

Christmas miracle for Lily Orphanage Staff! They were told there wasn't enough money for a Christmas bonus this year. A number of big hearted friends contributed and we are sending $10,875 and encouraging notes to show our love. Merry Christmas to all!

Our family has been working with other volunteers on the business plan and expansion of Valley Fresh, the produce business of Lily of the Valley Orphanage.  Our goal is to grow the business in order for Lily of the Valley Orphanage to be self sustaining.

Thrilled to report Phase 2 has begun with construction of another greenhouse as well as open field plantings of seedlings.  Nearly 35 staff (including maintenance, Valley Fresh employees, management, volunteers and children teamed up to plant nearly 14, 000 seedllings!

Our kids were delighted to be the first customers of bags made by the young ladies at the orphanage!  This sewing program promises to be an opportunity for children to earn income and learn trade skills for the future.  Rachelle, pictured in the middle, is a 6 month volunteer from Canada who has used her sewing skills to set up this thriving program for the girls.  Thando and Mbali, on the left of the photo, are sisters at the orphanage who were wonderfully encouraged when we purchased their bags.  Our girls were thrilled to be part of entrepreneurship at it's finest!  To date, the girls have sold several dozen bags. 

Our commitment to educating each of the orphans includes life skills education-rather than academics alone,teaching trade skills for future employment and independence.

Nkosi is doing well.  After his visit to CT this summer, Brendan, the CEO, reports that “Nkosi is changed.  He is more confident now”. Nkosi wants to become a police officer which requires graduating from high school, getting a driver’s license ($300), and 1 year of police training.  In the last few weeks, Nkosi has toured the local police station in South Africa, spoken with police officers and has a goal.  It is awesome that Nkosi had the opportunity to visit America and now feels so important since he was recently featured in the Greenwich Time newspaper.

Greenwich Time article

"Educating a generation of orphans one child at a time."

This summer our family hosted Nkosi, a teenager from Lily Orphanage in South Africa to visit us here in the US, his first travels outside of the orphanage.  He and others at Lily Orphanage are a generation of children who are, for the first time, surviving HIV and aging out of the orphanage.  They need life skills to lead independent lives.  Life Changers is a project to sponsor the education of each of the 120 + Lily of the Valley orphans.  The education could be academic for some and trade skills (farming, raising livestock, craft making) for others. Besides a financial contribution to a child, the relationship is so important.  Most of these children have little chance of adoption, so the relationship of Life Changers offers a child a commitment to their future through a relationship with a sponsor-sending letters and financial support and providing hope for their future. 

A team of volunteers travels back to Lily Orphanage in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa every summer.  Our family is planning our return trip again in 2013.   We invite you to open up your heart and life to a vulnerable child and you too, might be powerfully impacted.

This year our family volunteered with YoungLife in Santiago, Dominican Republic with underpriveged youth living in inner city slums and a special needs orphanage.  These volunteer days were some of the most challenging of our year.  We paid for 10 of these children to experience summer camp for the first time-they were thrilled with the rare escape to a quiet and green retreat with other children .  Pico Escondido is a summer camp for teens living in urban poverty. It costs $65 to send a disadvantaged teen for 1 week of camp.

 

January 28, 2012- Dominican Republic-  A most challenging day

"Spending the day with severely disabled children in the Dominican Republic was one of the most difficult days for our family.  When we arrived at the facility that cares for abandoned and severely disabled children, they clung onto us and begged us to take them out.  Most of the children were limited in their mobility, and Ken and Stephen linked shoulders with some of the children in order to walk alongside them.  The din of moaning and crying throughout our time in the facility was very upsetting.  I brought bags of donated nail polishes since we were told the children spend most of their days in their cots.  I thought the bright colors on their fingernails would be a happy diversion for them to look at as well as a tangible way for me to demonstrate care and love to them as we sat together, holding hands and applying the polish.   Julia and I carefully untwisted their curled fingers and asked questions though we received no responses due to their inability to communicate.   We tried to be cheerful and show affection as we gave them manicures and pedicures.  I have to believe that we were able to demonstrate care in our simple act of making contact and spending time with them.

Our team (5 others along with our family) rented a van and we took 4 of these teens out for a pizza lunch and arcade excursion.  Ken and Stephen were drenched in sweat from struggling to get them in and out of wheelchairs and the van.  These teens were so excited that they got dressed up for the excursion.   Our only experience with special needs children are those who have loving families, completely devoted to providing them every opportunity for a fulfilled life.  These children, however, are without a family and therefore fully dependent on others.  I considered the spectrum of how we value others by superficial qualities and accomplishments and recognized that their life would be incredibly difficult because they are alone.  By the end of the day spent getting to know them, I realized what they were able to affect in me: patience, appreciation for their efforts and joy in every one of their accomplishments.

“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that has been reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed”  Booker T. Washington"

 

I was asked to write "How to Volunteer as a Family" article.   it has been an illuminating and inspiring year and well worth any perceived sacrifice.  We are delighted that we now know a few families who are planning similar trips this summer.   Hope my article below details the process to encourage others to consider a trip too.

Fairfield County Look

Every year a team of volunteers travels from NYC to Lily Orphanage in South Africa.  This time last year, our family arrived at Lily and I recall as a mother, I was deeply moved by the 120 orphans who were born into a seemingly impossible situation and humbled by the selfless individuals who chose to care for these vulnerable children.  Our first week at Lily, I asked a boy to leave the dishes he was washing and join the kids who were playing.  He was excessively grateful.  I remember shedding tears while washing those dishes recalling the hundreds of times we, as parents instinctively care for our kids throughout the day and realizing there are so many children who are completely dependent on the kindness of strangers to help raise them. Certainly our family could devote our attention to these kids this year.

Check out the photo album here

Thankfully, Nkosi travelled well on this first time travelling on an airplane.    They are now "family" as we've introduced them to Grandpa and Grandma Song and Korean food. So funny that they were excited to see a chipmunk on our driveway.  When we were in South Africa we were excited to see warthogs and rhinos.

Brendan (CEO of Lily Orphanage), his wife, Suzy, and Nkosi, a teen orphan at Lily have begun their long 27+ hour journey from Kwa Zulu Natal, South Africa to JFK airport.  We've travelled this gruelling itinerary 4 times as a family this year and are thinking of Nkosi who will be seeing an airplane and flying such a long distance for his first flight.  He has never travelled much further than Lily Orphanage so this trip to NYC and CT is beyond his imagination.    Our family has been getting ready for their arrival to our home with such anticipation- we've been painting rooms, redecorating and trying to make everything special for our friends.  We earnestly want Nkosi's first vacation to be wonderful!

20 years ago mom and dad got engaged at the top of Diamond Head in Hawaii.  I know this year especially, they have been reflecting on how their lives have evolved across the last twenty years.

Hawaii is our final destination for this "year of travel".  Ken's cousin, Fay's wedding to Sean, a Hawaiian, prompted 50 family members worldwide to celebrate a wedding and enjoy family in Honolulu. This year has been about valuing relationships and we couldn't have imagined a more perfect way to end our year than to spend time enjoying family in gorgeous Hawaii!

20 years ago